An armored vehicle typically comprises armor paneling mounted on the sides, roof and the bottom of the vehicle. The substantial weight of the armor paneling creates a tradeoff between the operational weight of the vehicle that can be effectively handled by the engine versus the amount of armor necessary to protect the occupants and critical systems of the vehicle. Accordingly, the vehicle armor is typically concentrated at the sides of the vehicle where majority of the hostile fire will likely strike the vehicle, while the top and the bottom of the vehicle are relatively lightly armored. The side armor paneling used for armored vehicles has improved to the extent that penetrating the side armor of a vehicle with conventional weaponry has become very difficult. Advanced weaponry, such as High Explosive Anti-Tank (“HEAT”) warheads fired by large bore cannons, is often required to eliminate, to destroy or disable an armored vehicle through the side armor.
Accordingly, many anti-armored vehicle weapon systems used by combatants without access to advanced weaponry seek to exploit the vulnerable underbelly or top of the vehicle rather than seeking to overcome the thicker armor at the sides of the vehicle. In particular, mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) exploit the thin belly armor of most armored vehicles by detonating beneath the vehicle to direct shrapnel and a concussive blast into the crew compartment. Even if the belly armor dampens the explosive energy of the mine or IED, the close proximity of the explosion beneath the vehicle still creates a substantial risk of injury to the occupants and critical systems of the vehicle.
In addition, as the flooring of the crew compartment is commonly affixed directly to the belly armor, any damage or deformation of the belly armor from the explosion could cause the floor of the crew compartment to buckle and injure the occupants. Similarly, any explosive energy directed at the underlying armor can be conducted directly through the flooring into the crew compartment. Although the armor plating and the flooring will dampen the explosive energy, the amount of explosive energy transferred to the lower extremities of the occupants can be sufficient to cause injury to the occupants' extremities or knock the occupants around the crew compartment causing additional injury.
Similarly, the flooring provides minimal protection once the belly armor is breached. As a result, shrapnel from the explosion that penetrates the thin armor plating on the underside of the vehicle or penetrates through damaged portions of the armor plating can typically easily penetrate the flooring and enter the crew compartment. In addition, the explosive energy directly transferred from the belly armor into the flooring panel can cause the flooring panel itself to fragment creating additional shrapnel in the crew compartment. The flying shrapnel within the confined crew compartment creates a substantial risk of serious injury or death.
In recent years, however, the development of armor systems for protecting the underside of the crew compartment has remained relatively stagnant. As a result, even modern vehicles with advanced armor paneling are still susceptible to mines and IEDs that detonate beneath the vehicle leading to the increased use of IEDs and mines in certain conflicts where advanced weaponry may not be readily available. Consequently, there is a need for improved protection of the underside of crew compartments for armored vehicles.